Two new faces will join Sarasota County Commission this fall

Despite being outspent by a seven-to-one margin in the District 1 County Commission District 1 primary, Alexandra Coe managed a somewhat close contest against Teresa Mast.

According to the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections website, Mast amassed $248,258 in campaign contributions to Coe’s $33,821, all of which resulted in an 11-point margin of victory. 

Throughout the campaign, Mast faced accusations of being too developer-friendly as fears of overbuilding on Siesta Key and other barrier islands, as well as upland, have risen to the top of the minds of residents. Her website highlights her work as a current member and former chair of the Sarasota County Planning Commission, a member of the Building Industry Association board and the founding chair of the Professional Women in Building Council. 

She has also served as the vice chair of the Citizen’s Tax Oversight Committee and spent a decade working in Sarasota County’s Planning and Development Services, Neighborhood Services and Economic Development. 

Mast, who will succeed District 1 representative MIke Moran, does not have any opposition for the general election.

On the other end of the spectrum, and the county, former Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight of Venice rode his long-standing popularity to an easy victory over Neil Rainford, garnering 8,036 votes to Rainford’s 5,146. Rainford was appointed to the District 3 seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May 2023 to fill the unexpired term of the late Nancy Detert, who died unexpectedly on April 5.

In contrast to the characterizations of Mast, Knight ran on a platform plank to stop overdevelopment and hold developers accountable.

Knight will face independent Shari Thornton in the general election.

Closer to home, Sarasota City Commissioner Kyle Battie advanced to the city’s general election along with political newcomer Sequioa Felton, who will face off for the District 1 seat. 

With Felton’s backing of Newtown political heavyweights Willie Charles Shaw, a former District 1 city commissioner, and Fredd Atkins, the first African-American mayor of Sarasota, the vote was close. A former mayor, Battie won 781 votes to Felton’s 692, a margin of 42.6% to 37.8%. Going into the general election, the two will be chasing the remaining 19.6% of the vote garnered by Melissa Furman. 

Battie and Felton will be joined on the ballot by two other City Commission races: incumbents Erik Arroyo against former Planning Board Member Kathy Kelley Olrich in District 3 and Liz Alpert versus Laurel Park neighborhood activist Ron Kashden in District 2.